Long-Term Trends in Environmental Noise Exposure Among University Students and Associated Behavioral Risk Factors

Environmental noise may adversely affect sleep and well-being among students. This study examined associations between self-reported residential noise exposure, health complaints, and behaviours, and assessed temporal trends. This repeated cross-sectional study included 3,128 fourth-year medical students in Bratislava, Slovakia, surveyed across 11 waves between 2014 and 2026. Participants (69.9% women; mean age 23.2 ± 1.8 years) lived in noisy (n = 1,481) or quiet areas (n = 1,647). A questionnaire assessed noise annoyance, sleep outcomes, health complaints, and listening behaviours. Associations were examined using adjusted logistic regression models accounting for sex, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Compared with students in quiet areas, those in noisy areas had higher odds of frequent fatigue (44.1% vs. 33.4%; AOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.37–1.85), difficulty falling asleep (61.1% vs. 51.6%; AOR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.29–1.72), waking due to noise (29.8% vs. 12.1%; AOR = 3.13, 95% CI: 2.59–3.78), and tinnitus (35.6% vs. 28.0%; AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.13–1.69; all p < 0.01). These associations did not vary significantly over time. Residential noise was associated with poorer sleep and health complaints. Increasing personal listening device use and high-volume listening highlight the need for university health-promotion strategies addressing environmental and recreational sound exposure.